England manager Roy Hodgson has warned Saints legend Rickie Lambert and Tottenham’s Andros Townsend he cannot 'keep people on board forever' if they are not playing regular club football.

The likes of veteran Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick, 33, and West Ham's Stewart Downing, 30, were both handed recalls to the squad for the upcoming Euro 2016 qualifier against Slovenia at Wembley and friendly with Scotland in Glasgow, along with Arsenal forward Theo Walcott, fit again after a long-term knee injury.

There was also a promotion for 21-year-old Saido Berahino to the senior squad for the first time, while fellow starlets Calum Chambers, Nathanal Clyne, Luke Shaw, Ross Barkley, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Raheem Sterling were also included.

Hodgson continued to keep faith with Spurs winger Townsend and Liverpool forward Lambert, who have both found regular Barclays Premier League football limited this season.

The England manager, however, remains confident for now at least both men can bring something to the table.

"If I think I am still seeing enough of them at club level to believe that they are still going to be as good as they were when they came with us, I try to keep them on board, but you can't keep people on board forever. Andros and people like Rickie Lambert, they know that," said Hodgson.

“They realise, 'I can't keep expecting to get a call-up when I'm not playing enough football.'

“But at the moment with Andros and with Rickie, I don't think that moment has come where I shall be saying, 'You're not playing enough games from the start, I'm not using you' because I still think when they come with us, they have got something to offer and they can make us better.

"I can't give them any guarantees, but the one thing I absolutely will refuse to do is to have a clear rule that if you play in your first team, you've got a chance of coming; if you don't play in your first team, you haven't.

"I'm not going to make it black and white. It's always going to be a grey area, but as in all grey areas, you've got to constantly analyse and assess.”